The Red Tractor ACCS referendum
- Thread starter Clive
- Start date
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
Brings a whole new definition to the phrase “social distancing”! 
- Location
- Yorks
I think this is forming into part of the campaign.
Like RT, all their rules and what NFU are doing on our behalf - then continue your NFU membership.
Don't agree that NFU are doing a decent hob on RT. Then vote with your feet and cancel NFU subs.
RT think they are untouchable. They've cleverly made all the assurance rules so we've got to be assured every which way, join NRoSO, sprayer test every year (rather than legal interval of 3) etc.etc.
If NFU members leave in droves, then it will sink in, it will hurt, they'll lose their well paid jobs, imho NFU office holders and RT board members will have failed their members and will be remembered for their failure to do their jobs and manage the situation, because we WILL get change. And if the office holders don't presently facilitate a change, then I expect they will be history pretty swiftly.
I have been an active member of NFU for 30 years. I have never seen so much grass root resentment of an issue such as the current RT consultation in all that time.
But the great and the good are wedded to RT ..... it will be interesting to see what the NFU reply to the consultation is. There will be some minimal “sop” given to NFU to try and placate members and enable NFU to claim “victory”. I’m not sure it will wash this time, there is some VERY STRONG feelings and resentment of RT amongst ordinary farmers and members.
- Location
- Yorks
There are a series of NFU online meetings about the consultation. Maybe just regional meetings? Can farmers ask questions. Could be fun! Think it's NFU members only.
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members REALLY to need to make sure they know the results of this referendum and that most farmers would be happy to see this scheme scrapped
how can they support something their members clearly do not want ?
no better example of how disconnected they are from their membership imo
members REALLY to need to make sure they know the results of this referendum and that most farmers would be happy to see this scheme scrapped
how can they support something their members clearly do not want ?
no better example of how disconnected they are from their membership imo
- Location
- Yorks
I've been doing some homework for my chat with the journalist (still working on it tonight).
The Republic of Ireland Borda Bia beef and lamb assurance scheme is called Sustainable Beef And Lamb Scheme. SBLAS is free to the farmer AND the processor pays an itemised extra €0.20/kg deadweight on the beef because it's FA. On a 350kg carcass that's €70.
In GB, RT have negotiated ZERO price uplift for us, AND charge us for inspection/ membership.
SBLAS cattle have to be on a FA farm for 70 days to magically get FA status. RT is 90 days.
SBLAS has 9 critical failure standards. Haven't added up how many RT Beef and Lamb critical failure standards there are - that's my next job. Suspect it will be more.
Supermarkets have been importing NZ lamb for years whilst RT have being telling us how the supermarket demands assured meat. New Zealand only started a Farm Assurance programme in June 2017, and currently only about 50% of farmers are members. So the supermarkets can't have been all that bothered about FA can they? In NZ, no requirement for their compound feed to be from an assured cereal producer.
So UK farmers are working to more onerous FA standards than imported meats which share the shelf space in the very same UK supermarkets.
So why, oh why, does the NFU and RT want to gold plate our FA standards even more. Are they trying to put us out of business.?
Clearly imported standards are quite acceptable for our supermarkets.
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I have just voted yes after only coming across this thread 10 min ago.
Not sure if its been mentioned as I won't be reading it all the way through as it would be nearly as bad as having to read the CRAP RT come out with. (No offence intended)
They are similar to the local council, here to generally make your life more difficult and come up with new regulations(utter bullshite) to that effect, to justify their jobs and we pay their bloody wages!!!
Not sure if its been mentioned as I won't be reading it all the way through as it would be nearly as bad as having to read the CRAP RT come out with. (No offence intended)
They are similar to the local council, here to generally make your life more difficult and come up with new regulations(utter bullshite) to that effect, to justify their jobs and we pay their bloody wages!!!
NFU members should make it clear that if the NFU do not put RT back in its box and put it to the SAME standard as imports they will RESIGN. membership
its the only way they might actually listen to you
This is their monster, they created it and they still own a big part of it
its the only way they might actually listen to you
This is their monster, they created it and they still own a big part of it
I’m going to be annoying and reiterate a point I’ve made previously.
The point of consumer ‘assurance’ is all to do with food safety.
There are already legal requirements for this for food of GB origin. This also includes those for husbandry practice, environmental practice etc ,etc.
This legal standard should be the ‘Produced in GB’ standard with a Union Jack label for marketing purpose.
Anything beyond, like arbitrary ‘welfare‘ hoops and the like, can separate themselves further at a cost, IF it is deemed worth it and then have an extra marketing sticker. Like organic, pasture for life etc.
It shouldn’t be compulsory to exceed the legal requirements to simply have fair market access.
The imported stuff will be produced to GB legal requirements as to food safety requirement determined by the Conditions of the import licence of the product.
This is the disparity.
The point of consumer ‘assurance’ is all to do with food safety.
There are already legal requirements for this for food of GB origin. This also includes those for husbandry practice, environmental practice etc ,etc.
This legal standard should be the ‘Produced in GB’ standard with a Union Jack label for marketing purpose.
Anything beyond, like arbitrary ‘welfare‘ hoops and the like, can separate themselves further at a cost, IF it is deemed worth it and then have an extra marketing sticker. Like organic, pasture for life etc.
It shouldn’t be compulsory to exceed the legal requirements to simply have fair market access.
The imported stuff will be produced to GB legal requirements as to food safety requirement determined by the Conditions of the import licence of the product.
This is the disparity.
- Location
- Yorks
And the Eire beef and lamb assurance scheme is an 18 month long approval vs 12 months for RT.
- Location
- Somerset UK
I left the nfu several years ago over RT, perhaps I should rejoin and resign again
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
only 28 votes and sample is ,i think, very meaningful 1% of forum membership....2%? of rt 
i can't vote cos no longer in it
...but i've just joined nfu
edit...havn't paid yet
i can't vote cos no longer in it
...but i've just joined nfu edit...havn't paid yet
- Location
- Essex
Resign!only 28 votes and sample is ,i think, very meaningful 1% of forum membership....2%? of rt
i can't vote cos no longer in it
Trying not to be drawn in further, but this is important.
I do Export Health Certificates for a large supermarket chain. It’s all become a lot more of a job since Brexit.
.
There is NO differentiation to source ingredients- GB, NL, DK ( any EU) for the purpose of certification provided that there is traceability to: holding of origin, abattoir, processing plant and cold storage unit, transport data and any further product processing.
Nor should there be. All steps have approved quality control measures which are inspected and policed to ensure they conform to EU legal standards. They get a stamp app
RT is a GB thing only, no one else cares.
I don’t believe GB cares.
The real irony is that now the EU are suddenly more suspicious of wether our standards are good enough for them as the EU standard (minimal legal EU standard we all conformed to as of 31/12/2020) trumps RT any day of the week as far as they are concerned.
I do Export Health Certificates for a large supermarket chain. It’s all become a lot more of a job since Brexit.
. There is NO differentiation to source ingredients- GB, NL, DK ( any EU) for the purpose of certification provided that there is traceability to: holding of origin, abattoir, processing plant and cold storage unit, transport data and any further product processing.
Nor should there be. All steps have approved quality control measures which are inspected and policed to ensure they conform to EU legal standards. They get a stamp app
RT is a GB thing only, no one else cares.
I don’t believe GB cares.
The real irony is that now the EU are suddenly more suspicious of wether our standards are good enough for them as the EU standard (minimal legal EU standard we all conformed to as of 31/12/2020) trumps RT any day of the week as far as they are concerned.
- Location
- Yorks
Cancelled my DD recently fro my next renewal.
Had a call from the local Rep (who I like and respect) who had been tasked with asking me why I was leaving...
Poor fella asked the question, so I told him.
Same here. I was a Group Chair, and an active Member, but eased off a few years back.. but still talking and chatting
I suspect the local Reps are already very aware of the RT issue, as it is biting at their membership. For me, it was the apathy coming from the NFU after the pronouncements regarding beef production that finally annoyed me enough last year.
RT is not an issue as I am not a Member, but the push for WLA from some within the NFU is all part and parcel of the same mindset...
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Our membership will not be renewed unless I see proactive actions from the NFU. Family been members for lots of years.
Hello,
Auckland, Sydney, Singapore, Jakarta, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Washington, Montreal, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Columbo, Mumbai, Karachi, Johannesburg, blah, blah, blah.
Who has heard of RT?
Anyone, anyone?
- - -?
Who cares about RT?
- - -?
Who is familiar with the Union Jack?
Oh, everyone...
We are now a ‘third’ country to the EU.
I’ve already said they don’t care about RT. As long as we can meet EU standards, which we have until New Year’s Day 2021 under UK law.
So, we have already established it’s not the domestic market, as they just want country of origin choice, so who does care about RT?
Auckland, Sydney, Singapore, Jakarta, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Washington, Montreal, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Columbo, Mumbai, Karachi, Johannesburg, blah, blah, blah.
Who has heard of RT?
Anyone, anyone?
- - -?
Who cares about RT?
- - -?
Who is familiar with the Union Jack?
Oh, everyone...
We are now a ‘third’ country to the EU.
I’ve already said they don’t care about RT. As long as we can meet EU standards, which we have until New Year’s Day 2021 under UK law.
So, we have already established it’s not the domestic market, as they just want country of origin choice, so who does care about RT?